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2016 Toyota RAV4

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2016 Toyota RAV4 — Safety Summary

The 2016 Toyota RAV4 has 3 NHTSA safety recalls and 233 owner complaints on record. Transport Canada separately lists 6 Canadian recalls for this model. The most frequently reported complaint area is electrical system. It earned an NHTSA overall safety rating of 5 out of 5. Based on this public data we rate its risk profile as high. Enter your VIN above to confirm which of these apply to your exact vehicle, then get the Smart Buyer Report for AI analysis of this model's reliability, common issues by mileage, and a pre-purchase inspection checklist.

3
NHTSA Recalls
233
Owner Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
High
Risk Level

NHTSA Safety Ratings

Government crash test results

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★☆
Front Crash
★★★★★
Side Crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

NHTSA Recalls

3 recall(s) for this year/model

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

07/04/2016

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.

TIRES

22/04/2016

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

Remedy: SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

01/11/2023

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 27, 2024, to 2013-2014 RAV4 owners. Additional owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, phase 2 will begin on May 14, 2025, and phase 3 in late July 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 23TB13 and 23TA13.

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Transport Canada Recalls

6 Canadian recall(s) from the official Transport Canada database

Brakes

2016-04-06

Certain vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 126 - Electronic Stability Control Systems. Some brake actuator pumps may have been assembled with an O-ring that is damaged in such a way that the brake fluid pressure may not be properly controlled during Anti-Lock Braking (ABS), Traction Control (TRAC), and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system activation(s), which fails to meet the requirements of the standard. This could result in a loss of vehicle stability control, which could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect the serial number of the brake actuator and, if necessary, replace the brake actuator assembly.

🍁 Transport Canada #2016147· 1,186.00 units affected

Electrical

2017-07-20

On certain vehicles, the electrical power cords of some dealer installed block heaters may have been improperly manufactured, causing the wires to contact each other, resulting in a short circuit. A short circuit could lead to a fire which would increase the risk of injury and/or damage to property. Correction: For vehicles where the subject block heater was approved for installation, the dealer will replace the block heater assembly with a new one of an improved design. For vehicles where the subject block heater was not approved for installation, dealers will remove the block heater assembly. In the interim, until the remedy can be performed, dealers will cut the plug end from the block heater cord to disable the block heater's operation.

🍁 Transport Canada #2017363· 39,189.00 units affected

Other

2019-08-21

Issue: This recall is for aftermarket replacement rear window glass produced by Vitro Automotriz. Certain rear window glass may not have been properly tempered. If the window breaks, the glass may separate into large pieces instead of very small ones. Note: This is a voluntary recall that is not being conducted under the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Safety Risk: Glass that breaks in to large pieces could create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: The company will notify consumers by mail and instruct them to inspect the designation code marked on the rear window glass. Products affected by this recall have the designation “DOT 287” along with the lettering “VMR” (Replacement Market) and a date code that is before July 2019. This information is printed on the bottom corner of the glass. Consumers should contact Vitro's customer service at 1-412-995-6457 or argbacklites@vitro.com to arrange for replacement of the glass.

🍁 Transport Canada #2019420· 5,327.00 units affected

Accessories

2019-08-23

Issue: On certain vehicles, the hook and loop material used to attach the carpet to its underpadding may not be flame resistant. As a result, when it is tested alone, the loop fasteners do not meet the requirements of Canadian regulations. Safety Risk: As the carpet is always assembled, and the loop fasteners are very small, this problem does not create a safety risk. Corrective Action: This is not a recall. The company has made production changes to ensure that all new vehicles meet the requirements of Canadian regulations.

🍁 Transport Canada #2019428· 327,373.00 units affected

Electrical

2021-11-24

Issue: This recall is for certain block heater kits installed on certain vehicles or sold as accessories at Toyota or Lexus dealerships. On certain vehicles, the engine block heater cable may not have enough heat protection and could be damaged by high temperatures. If this happens, the cable could short circuit while plugged in, and cause the wiring to overheat or melt. Note: This recall only affects the following block heater/cord part numbers: C014003034 PK5A408J09 PU14000904 C014003151 PK5A408J13 PU14000905 C014000885 PK5A489J11 PU14000907 C014000888 PK5A489J22 PU14000909 C014000907 PK5A410H00 PU14000911 C014100904 PU14000900 PU14000913 C014100907 PU14000901 PU14003571 C014100911 PU14000902 PK5A489J14 PK5A408J05 PU14000903 Safety Risk: Engine block heater wiring that overheats or melts could create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Toyota recommends that you should stop using the engine block heater immediately. Toyota will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to disable the engine block heater. For some vehicles, the corrective actions for this recall are under development. For others, a new engine block heater cannot be installed, and the owner will receive a refund of the purchase price of the engine block heater.

🍁 Transport Canada #2021723· 55,683.00 units affected

Electrical

2023-11-01

Issue: On certain vehicles, the battery hold-down assembly may not properly secure certain 12 V aftermarket batteries. As a result, the battery could shift positions and cause the positive battery post to contact the hold down bracket. If this happens, there could be a short circuit. Safety Risk: A short circuit could create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Toyota will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover.

🍁 Transport Canada #2023589· 249,416.00 units affected

Contains information sourced from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database, licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Data is provided "as is" from Transport Canada's monthly release and may not reflect real-time updates. Transport Canada does not endorse this service. Always confirm open recalls with the manufacturer or Transport Canada before purchase.

Owner Complaints

233 complaint(s) filed with NHTSA

Top complaint categories:

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM34 (15%)
SERVICE BRAKES29 (12%)
UNKNOWN OR OTHER25 (11%)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING24 (10%)
AIR BAGS14 (6%)

Want the full picture?

The free data above comes from public NHTSA records. The Smart Buyer Report adds AI-powered analysis for this exact model — reliability score, common problems by mileage, real maintenance costs in CAD, a pre-purchase inspection checklist, a market value estimate, and Canadian notes on rust, winter, and fuel.

Data disclaimer:Vehicle history information on CarHistoryReport.ca is compiled from publicly available government sources, primarily the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Reports may not include all incidents, recalls, or issues related to a specific vehicle. Data is provided "as-is" without warranty of completeness or accuracy. Always obtain a professional pre-purchase inspection before buying any used vehicle. CarHistoryReport.ca is not liable for purchasing decisions made based on report contents.